Video Conferencing – An Affordable Medium

Written by Jason Morris

Just like prices for computers and telephone systems have reduced, so too have prices for video conferencing systems. Video conferencing was once a hugely expensive technology, but is now available to almost any sized company, large or small. Video conferencing equipment is now so cheap, that is becoming standard equipment in many meeting rooms around world. The conference room is where video conferencing technology really shines. Video conferencing allows users to connect audibly and visually in offices around world as well as with people who may be located at remote sites.

Typically ISDN line is used to call video phones that are outside your company and IP connection for those that are inside a company network. Video conferencing systems hugely reduce need for travel. Because of savings involved through need for less travel, units pay for themselves many times over in a very short period of time.

Small Business Phone Systems – A Brief Explanation

Written by Jason Morris

How a business presents itself to its customers has to be single most important factor in its potential success. In days gone by usually your first contact with new customers would have been through your storefront or through word of mouth, passed on by other satisfied customers. In today’s modern world, telecommunication plays an ever increasing role in reaching potential new customers.

In last few years rate at which computing and telecommunication technology has advanced is simply astounding. With this increased rate of technological development comes falling prices for products that were once extremely expensive. This allows smaller companies to take advantage of features and services that were once only available to much larger and richer organisations.

Once upon a time telephone was primary mode of communication, whereas now existing and new customers are able to reach you I a variety of different ways. This article will give a brief overview of what is available and how you can use it.

Voice: The Telephone When internet was first becoming popular, many experts predicted it would kill off telephone. Little did they know that in fact exact opposite would happen. The massive growth in online shopping has generated massive amounts of customer phone enquiries, making telephone still most important communication tool throughout world.

The internet is undoubtedly an impressive medium for publishing information, but it is not a person. Some customers would rather deal with a real life human being rather than with a machine. There are many situations where a person is much better suited to talk to customers than a machine is. The internet is not so good at dealing with higher priced items. Customers enquiring about these higher priced goods would in most cases prefer to deal with a person, and that is where telephone comes in handy.

Phone Systems The selection and installation of an appropriate phone system is probably one of most important purchases a business will ever make. A bad phone system will repel potential customers; a good phone system will help them, guide them through a process, make it appear as though they have a direct line and most importantly make them feel like their business is both wanted and appreciated.

Phone systems with advanced features like voice mail, ACD (call queuing) and auto attendant, used to be extremely overpriced. Because of integration between computing and telecom technology, prices have come down dramatically, although system performance and features have actually increased. Now a market that was once largely ignored by telecoms industry and vendors alike is a thriving sector with manufacturers constantly improving and upgrading systems in a bid to attract your business.

The new phone systems developed for this small office/home office market sector can be split into three basic categories: key systems, mini-PBX’s (including PC-based phone systems), and LAN based phone systems.